HEAT Guard Eddie Jones

Q: Eddie, feeling any different after having some time to sit back and look at the way the season ended?

A: “Sitting back and just reflecting on the season itself, I felt like we had a great year. We improved. We may have lost the game last night (Game 6), but we improved the whole year. We have to be happy with where we started and where we ended. I think we finished the season off great.”

Q: How close do you think you are to getting to where you want to be?

A: “I think we’re right there. I just think we need more energy, a little more effort, more experience, which makes a big difference. This was our first year here with the young crew we have, and I think next year is going to be even better.”

Q: How nice would it be to have a little more consistency – maybe just tweak and add small pieces instead of the constant turnover of players the past few years??

A: “I think the team is in a good position right now. I don’t know what to do, I’m not upstairs with the guys who make those decisions. They’ve done a great job thus far, a great job bringing in all the new talent and making this city see what we have.”

Q: It must be satisfying to know that you guys really made basketball matter again…?

A: “Definitely. Whatever you may do in life, you want to matter. That hits home with me big time because as a player you want to feel like you’ve done something in your career, and now, the Miami HEAT, to me, is back. I’m happy to be a part of it. It’s incredible to be part of something so good, something that is just growing and growing.”

HEAT Guard Rafer Alston

Q: Rafer, what do you think about your future here with the team?

A: “I’m going to work as hard as I can to return. I’m going to do everything I can to get back here and make a great run with these guys. It was fabulous, a fantastic year. It was a tough time in the early season, the struggle just to get to .500, then surpassing that, and the run all the way to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. I’m going to do everything I can to return…This is a place that is a perfect fit for the style of play that I like, which is complimentary to Wade. We’ll see how it goes.”

HEAT Forward Udonis Haslem

Q: Is it sweet for you, being a hometown guy, and then on top of all that, all you’ve been through, to get to this point?

A: “It’s definitely sweet for me to be able to represent my city and for us to do as well as we did. All that aside, it was about the team, and we had a great year…The city surrounded us and took to us. We started selling out and brought in big crowds. It’s not easy, you have to win, and we won.”

Q: What are your plans during the off-season? What do you have to do to improve yourself??

A: “Continue to work, which has been my M.O. since day one. I’m definitely going to shoot a lot of jumpers, a lot of pick-and-roll shots, just continue to grow, continue to get better, to learn more and more about the game.”

Q: “It seems like you guys are like a family helping each other? Is that right??

A: “Yes, I think that has been one of the biggest parts of our success is that everybody is willing to help each other and work together. Even though you’ve got guys who are playing the same position, nobody is trying to outdo each other, which is better for the team.

HEAT Forward Caron Butler

Q: Would it be fair to say this organization, from a lot of different standpoints, took a big step forward this season?

A: “Yes, we really did. We have a foundation of talented, young guys that are very versatile. You can surround us with pretty much anybody, and we can win games. We’re happy, and we’re fortunate that we have a great organization that’s willing to take chances and risks and believe in us.”

Q: Now that you had a real taste of the playoffs, does that make you hungrier for more??

A: “We have the whole summer to think about things you could have done better, things you should have done better. We are just looking forward to next year. It’s going to be a big challenge, but I think we’re going to hit the ground running, and guys will come back in shape, healthy and ready to go.”

Q: How much are you looking forward to coming back with a healthy start next year??

A: “I’m anxious to get back healthy and in full strength. You saw peeks of it at the end, when I was picking up from where I left off my rookie season. To come back in the beginning of the season next year, it’s going to be a big plus for the team and myself.”

HEAT Guard Dwyane Wade

Q: It may be the end of the season, but do you look at it as the start of big things to come?

A: “Yes we do. We are very confident, and we look at it as the beginning of something special here in Miami. With the experience of next year, with the core of our guys coming back, it will be another great year.”

Q: “Every step of the way, your stage just kept getting bigger and bigger, and your game kept getting as big as the stage. How were you able to do that??

A: “Just confidence, knowing that my teammates and coaches have tremendous confidence in me. I have no worries – I just go out there and play. I don’t ever question my shot selection or ability.”

Q: For the most part, do you guys walk away from the season happy??

A: “We walk away from the season with our heads up, with smiles on our faces knowing that a season that had a lot of mixed feelings and an unknown direction in the beginning went to playing the No. 1 team in the regular season and giving them a scare. This is something we can build on.”